He wants Britain to give other EU nations an ultimatum: ‘Give us back our sovereignty or we will walk out’
Mr Gove insists the UK could thrive as a free trading nation on its own like Norway and Switzerland. He has discussed his views in detail with David Cameron.
The chances of Britain leaving the EU rose dramatically last night after it emerged that one of David Cameron’s closest Cabinet allies believes it is time to tell Brussels bluntly: ‘We are ready to quit.’
Education Secretary Michael Gove has told friends that, if there was a referendum today on whether the UK should cut its ties with Brussels, he would vote to leave.
He wants Britain to give other EU nations an ultimatum: ‘Give us back our sovereignty or we will walk out.’
Mr Gove insists the UK could thrive as a free trading nation on its own, like other non-EU nations in Europe such as Norway and Switzerland. He has changed his view partly as a result of his fury at Brussels meddling which has held up his school reforms.
Mr Gove, one of the Prime Minister’s closest confidants, has discussed his views in detail with Mr Cameron. In an anti-EU pincer movement by the two Tory allies, Mr Cameron will formally announce later this month the first major step towards grabbing back powers from Brussels.
He will set out in detail how he plans to withdraw Britain from EU justice ties, but he will then ‘cherry pick’ which aspects of Anglo-EU legal co-operation he believes are in British interests.
These could include the European Arrest Warrant (EAW), access to police databases, prisoner transfers and co-operation over drugs trafficking and money laundering.
The disclosures are the latest evidence of a turning point in Britain’s relationship with the EU, which is currently gripped by the euro crisis.
Mr Cameron has struck an increasingly tough stance. He won plaudits for vetoing changes in the EU Treaty, has edged closer to pledging an ‘In or Out’ referendum, and suggested Brussels should have two budgets, one for eurozone nations and another for non-eurozone nations such as the UK.
Mr Gove, backed by Eurosceptic Ministers including Welfare Secretary Iain Duncan Smith and Environment Secretary Owen Paterson, wants Mr Cameron to go even further.
A well-placed source said: ‘Countless British Prime Ministers have said they want to reclaim powers over justice, fishing, employment, health and safety and other matters from the EU.
‘But when people like John Humphrys and Adam Boulton say to them, “What if they refuse? Have you got the courage to tell them you are packing your bags and leaving?” they always reply feebly, “Er, no, we won’t.”
‘Michael thinks it is about time we spelled it out, in simple words that even Brussels bureaucrats can understand, that we won’t tolerate this any longer. We have to tell them if they don’t return some of the important powers they have snaffled from us, we will leave. We have nothing to be scared of and he wants them to know that.
‘We are a major trading nation and that gives us considerable bargaining power with the EU whether we leave – or stay in.’
Last night, Tory grandee Bernard Jenkin, chairman of the Commons Public Administration Committee and a long-time EU critic, said: ‘The significance of the change in Michael Gove’s attitude cannot be overstated.
‘No one is closer to David Cameron and Michael clearly now agrees with people like me who have been arguing for years that we should be prepared to leave the EU if they do not agree to a substantial renegotiation of our terms of membership.’
Mr Gove’s view on Europe has changed so dramatically that he has spoken admiringly of arch Tory Eurosceptic MP Bill Cash. For years, Mr Cash has been derided by mainstream Conservatives as an extremist. But Mr Gove observed: ‘Maybe Bill Cash was right all along.’
Getting tough: Mr Gove, one of the Prime Minister's closest confidants, has discussed his views in detail with Mr Cameron, pictured
The Education Secretary is among a number of Tory Ministers who say they have been shocked to discover the extent of Brussels’ power to interfere in UK legislation.
Officials say several aspects of Mr Gove’s school reforms have been ‘disrupted’ by the EU and the European Court of Human Rights.
They claim his plan to make it easier for the bosses of failing schools to get rid of sub-standard teachers have been affected by an EU anti-sacking law. Mr Gove has also been told moves to give teachers greater power to discipline pupils could fall foul of the ECHR.
And plans to streamline the process for building new schools and classrooms have been delayed by complex EU laws on procurement which are said to be ‘pro big business’, making it impossible for local building firms to win contracts.
The increasingly Eurosceptic mood of Mr Cameron and fellow senior Ministers is certain to place further strains on relations with pro-EU Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. Cynics will say it also reflects the electoral threat to the Tories posed by the fiercely anti-EU UKIP.
More than 100 Tory MPs this year called on Mr Cameron to take Britain out of the EAW, on the grounds that it infringes British sovereignty and takes little account of widely varying standards of procedural fairness across Europe.
By withdrawing from EU justice ties, Mr Cameron will have to exempt the UK from all 130 arrangements with Brussels that concern home affairs.
Downing Street will then negotiate over which measures to opt back into – and on terms more acceptable to Eurosceptic backbenchers.
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